Referring to FIGS. 1A and 1B, a T-type fence post 100 is a type of steel fence post having a T-shaped cross-section including a cross bar 102 and a flange 104 with a row of studs or hooks 106 projecting from the flat side of the crossbar for attaching wire fencing. T-type fence posts may be provided with one or more anchors 108 to aid in securing the post in the earth. T-type fence posts are generally less costly and easier to install than wooden or pipe posts. T-type fence posts may be installed manually, typically with a piece of steel pipe having one closed end and having handles on the sides of the pipe for lifting the pipe. The open end of the pipe is placed over the pipe and the pipe dropped to drive the post into the ground. Weights may be attached to the pipe to increase the force of the impact when the pipe is dropped on the T-type fence post. Other types of tools may be also be used to drive the posts into the earth.
Removing T-type fence posts, as well as wooden and pipe-type posts, may, however, be difficult, particularly when the posts have been in the ground for an extended period. Considerable force may be required to extract the posts from the earth due to compaction of the soil around the posts and surface corrosion of the posts. Typically, a chain, cable or rope is tied to the post and attached to a front end loader, tractor, backhoe or other piece of engine powered mobile equipment or vehicle that is used to pull the post from the ground. However, the chain cable or rope may slip off the post and/or the post may be bent or broken to the point that it cannot be re-used.
Further, the operator of the mobile equipment or vehicle must dismount to wrap the chain or cable around each post, remount the tractor to pull the post, dismount the tractor to remove the chain or cable from the post and then remount the tractor proceed to the next post. Alternatively, a helper must be employed to attach the cable or chain to the post. If the chain or cable slips off the post the operator must dismount re-position the chain or cable and remount the tractor or other piece of mobile equipment. As will be appreciated, if a large number of posts are to be pulled, this can be a time consuming and labor intensive process.
Manual post pulling devices similar to jacks may be used to pull posts from the earth, but these tools normally require even more labor and time. Devices that use hydraulically powered jaws to grip and pull posts may also be used, however, these tend to be expensive and typically must be mounted on a piece of mobile equipment. Consequently there is a need for a method of pulling T-type posts and other similar elongate rigid objects from the earth that is simple, inexpensive, and quick and that reduces the amount of physical labor involved in the process.
As used herein, a powered piece of mobile equipment or vehicle refers to a front end loader, tractor, backhoe or other piece of powered mobile equipment or vehicle having a hydraulically actuated lift arm wherein a human operator rides on the vehicle to steer and control the operation of the piece of equipment or vehicle, including the lift arm.